Congress ‘exposes’ TDP chief
9 Oct 2013 10:58 PM GMT
Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu, who has been fasting to protest against the division of Andhra Pradesh, must has been feeling embarrassed after Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday released letters of the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress in favour of a separate state of Telangana.
Citing the letter, the Congress Party on Tuesday alleged that the TDP president has taken a complete U-turn from his stand since 2008.
The Congress alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had supported the creation of Telangana in a letter to the Centre five years back.
The Congress circulated Naidu’s letter dated 18 October, 2008, to the then foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee, in which he says a core committee of senior TDP leaders had taken the views of people and backed Telangana.
‘The Politburo of TDP has discussed thoroughly on the conclusions arrived at by the core committee and agreed with its recommendations in favour of a separate Telangana state,’ the letter quotes Naidu as saying.
Reeling under the crisis large parts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema continued under a power blackout following a strike by electricity employees in protest against the division of Andhra Pradesh. The power generation remained crippled at the major power stations including Vijayawada thermal power station and the Rayalaseema thermal power station, forcing the authorities to impose power cuts ranging from 3-10 hours. According to official sources, the total demand was 11,000 MW, while the supply was 7500 MW.
‘The power generation was affected mostly in the power plants located in Seemandhra regions. These include both thermal and hydel,’ an official said.
The Congress also expressed concern over the ongoing protests in the Seemandhra and appealed to the people of the region ‘to give up their agitation so that a solution to benefit both sides be arrived at’.
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, said , ‘We are deeply concerned about the agitation in Seemandhra. The Congress party appeals to the people of Seemandhra to give up their agitation so that a healthy dialogue process can move forward and a solution that will benefit both the sides be arrived at.’
While home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that there is no need for President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh, despite the worsening law and order situation. ‘We are monitoring the situation and I am in touch with the Chief Minister’, said Shinde.
Meanwhile, a day into his hunger strike at Andhra Bhavan, Naidu was on Tuesday asked by authorities to vacate the premises as his protest there was ‘unauthorised’ but he was defiant.
‘What crime I have committed? When Jaganmohan Reddy was in jail, he took part in fast against jail manual. But why should I vacate from Andhra Bhavan as I am under fast for a good cause,’ he said.
Asked whether his indefinite fast was a second struggle for Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said he wanted to expose the Congress party which is allegedly ‘match fixing with YSR Congress and TRS.’
‘Congress is adamant and playing politics. It is unfortunate. Justice should be done. They (Congress) have to pay the price for what they have done,’ Naidu added.
Residence commissioner of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan served a notice to the TDP chief stating that the hunger strike is ‘unauthorized’ as permission was granted only for a press meet at the venue, TDP spokesman Shiva Prasad Rao said.
Citing the letter, the Congress Party on Tuesday alleged that the TDP president has taken a complete U-turn from his stand since 2008.
The Congress alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had supported the creation of Telangana in a letter to the Centre five years back.
The Congress circulated Naidu’s letter dated 18 October, 2008, to the then foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee, in which he says a core committee of senior TDP leaders had taken the views of people and backed Telangana.
‘The Politburo of TDP has discussed thoroughly on the conclusions arrived at by the core committee and agreed with its recommendations in favour of a separate Telangana state,’ the letter quotes Naidu as saying.
Reeling under the crisis large parts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema continued under a power blackout following a strike by electricity employees in protest against the division of Andhra Pradesh. The power generation remained crippled at the major power stations including Vijayawada thermal power station and the Rayalaseema thermal power station, forcing the authorities to impose power cuts ranging from 3-10 hours. According to official sources, the total demand was 11,000 MW, while the supply was 7500 MW.
‘The power generation was affected mostly in the power plants located in Seemandhra regions. These include both thermal and hydel,’ an official said.
The Congress also expressed concern over the ongoing protests in the Seemandhra and appealed to the people of the region ‘to give up their agitation so that a solution to benefit both sides be arrived at’.
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, said , ‘We are deeply concerned about the agitation in Seemandhra. The Congress party appeals to the people of Seemandhra to give up their agitation so that a healthy dialogue process can move forward and a solution that will benefit both the sides be arrived at.’
While home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that there is no need for President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh, despite the worsening law and order situation. ‘We are monitoring the situation and I am in touch with the Chief Minister’, said Shinde.
Meanwhile, a day into his hunger strike at Andhra Bhavan, Naidu was on Tuesday asked by authorities to vacate the premises as his protest there was ‘unauthorised’ but he was defiant.
‘What crime I have committed? When Jaganmohan Reddy was in jail, he took part in fast against jail manual. But why should I vacate from Andhra Bhavan as I am under fast for a good cause,’ he said.
Asked whether his indefinite fast was a second struggle for Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said he wanted to expose the Congress party which is allegedly ‘match fixing with YSR Congress and TRS.’
‘Congress is adamant and playing politics. It is unfortunate. Justice should be done. They (Congress) have to pay the price for what they have done,’ Naidu added.
Residence commissioner of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan served a notice to the TDP chief stating that the hunger strike is ‘unauthorized’ as permission was granted only for a press meet at the venue, TDP spokesman Shiva Prasad Rao said.
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